Advice for a Drizzly Monday

A Proper Good Morning to You,

In Southern California one can pretty much count on the forecast.  Our weather has a clear and rather monotonous pattern.  The exception seems to be when promised rain does not arrive after all.  Britain's weather is more exciting.  We had gloom and drizzle today although it wasn't cold.
I went to the grocery store for more cidre, but you have to realize that even a trip just to pick something up turns into an expedition.  This morning I was mesmerized by the condiment aisle.  So many familiar things mixed in with utterly foreign concoctions.
I took a sudden notion to go out to the Victoria and Albert.  One piece of advice for a drizzly Monday (and if you visit London for any length of time, it will rain!) is to go to a museum. There are dozens of choices. V and A happened to be mine today.  I had to walk down to the Covent Garden Station because Holborn was closed to entry although one can get off there.  Not a big deal.  It's an easy stroll and I know my way around.
The stop is South Kensington, which is a museum neighborhood.  There's a sign posted tunnel which you can take to the museum of your choice. So here's where it gets a little funny.  I wanted the V and A, and I came out at the right entrance and spotted the huge brick Victorian structure.  There was a line to get in as expected, security as expected, I walked into the great hall and saw something I did NOT expect.  Why is there a whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling?  Wait a minute. Why are all these dinosaurs around?  Ha ha!  I'd come to the wrong place.  I was in the Natural History Museum.
Smooth move, Pil. What did you do?
Well, I was there, so I figured why not? I didn't do it very well or thoroughly because I really did want to go to the V and A, but I saw some very cool exhibits.  Since I have a BA in Anthropology I made sure I attended the truly excellent exhibit on human ancestors.  Then I walked out the back and across the street to the V and A.  I mostly stuck to the European halls.  The museum has some sculpture and painting as well as Raphael's Cartoons for a tapestry, the latter lent by her majesty.  The theme of the museum is applied arts, so there is a lot of incredible furniture and other decorative arts, some amazing textiles including a costume gallery, and one of my favorites--china.  I lust in my heart after the beautiful tea and breakfast sets.  The grand dinner settings I'll leave to others.  In fact I did take a detour through the Chinese galleries where I admired many things but really fell in love with some humble looking (but probably priceless) teapots.
As readers of the blog know I have a strong taste for Late Medieval Art and the V and A has some wonderful polychrome carved altarpieces.
I also finally FINALLY got to see the Torrigiano portrait bust of Henry VII.  One time it was lent out, another time it was being restored.  This time I scored.  The artist, otherwise famous only for breaking Michelangelo's nose, did a lot of work for the early Tudors.  Henry VII looks like a real person--intelligent but closed in.
I walked up the street to Knightsbridge, because I figured I might as well peek into Harrods while I was there.  The store was crowded and bustling, and I would bet good money that every individual in the place was some form of tourist life.  People were actually buying things in the food hall. The luxury goods attendants were standing around giving directions.  A very nice and probably bored young man offered me a perfume strip.  Since it smelled pretty and fresh, I asked for a spritz, and he was kind enough to accommodate me.
Then it was time to tube home--and eat . . .
Mmm.  Fish and chips--so good.  Perfect for a drizzly day that turned a bit chill.  This is the second piece of advice for a drizzly Monday.  I hiked to my local chippy, which is not actually that close, but they fixed me right up, and the goods being well wrapped were still hot when I got here.  The batter is so crisp, and the cod fish it incloses is so flaky and tender. The chips are robust and doused with salt and malt vinegar. This is one of the other National Dishes of England, but truth to tell the biggest show in town appears to be East Asian.  Chinese has always been popular, but now, as in the rest of Europe, sushi is the deal.  Korean also seems to be making a running.   But no one does fish and chips like the English, so I'm sticking with that.  Cool Cidre to my mind is the best and most appropriate accompaniment.
Cherrio!